Antisocial behaviors in adolescence have been an increasing cause for concern in western societies. Widespread examples through the media highlight the current relevance of this topic.
If, on the one hand, it is possible that young people are now, more than ever, displaying antisocial behaviors as never before, it is also possible this perception is just a biased one shared by many because of an increasing social awareness and a wider public attention to these kinds of behaviors.
Regardless, it is paramount to further investigate this topic. Can antisocial behavior in adolescence be considered normative (Moffitt, 2006), given the developmental tasks that typically characterize adolescence (Steinberg, 2009)? Is there a tendency towards deviancy and increased severity in adolescents’ behaviors and, therefore, towards higher rates of delinquent behavior?